Bryce Harper and company nab cover for Sports Illustrated’s MLB Preview issue

Philadelphia Phillies fans who have a subscription to Sports Illustrated will get a pleasant surprise when they check their mailbox for their next issue.

This year’s Sports Illustrated MLB Preview issue features Bryce Harper, Aaron Nola, Rhys Hoskins and J.T. Realmuto on the cover with the headline “All the Phils:”

The four players featured are no doubt the centerpieces of the current Phillies roster, for this year and years to come. This type of attention shouldn’t be unexpected given that Phillies general manager Matt Klentak added three players that were All-Stars a season ago (Harper, Realmuto, Jean Segura) this offseason, as well as former National League MVP Andrew McCutchen and veteran reliever David Robertson.

You would have to go all the way back to 2011 (the last season the Phillies made the playoffs), for the last time prior to this that a current Phillie was on the Sports Illustrated cover. That year, the Phillies had three covers dedicated to them. The first, which came out in April, might be the most recognizable SI cover to Phillies fans. That one featured Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt and Joe Blanton. The second came in July of 2011, and it featured catcher Carlos Ruiz. The third came in October, with Lee and former closer Ryan Madson standing on the pitcher’s mound.

From 2007 to 2010, the Phillies also had players such as Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard featured, as well as Halladay and Hamels. There was also a commemorative issue for the 2008 World Series Champions. Beyond that, other Phillies greats who have donned the Sports Illustrated

cover include Mike Schmidt and Steve Carlton. For fans interested in looking at all of the times the Phillies have had a player on a cover, Sports Illustrated has a digital library available where covers can be seen and purchased.

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